The Column Racer (15 page)

Areli started to feel panicky. Is Aubrie going to do to her what she did to Fidelja? Was she going to be left to train alone? Was Fidelja’s dragon lame? Was that the reason she couldn’t train? But that didn’t make sense, because there was always a trailer next to Fidelja’s practice arena. Is Fidelja not flying her dragon in there? Is she just lying around?
What in the stars is going on?
thought Areli. All she knew now was that she wanted answers. Truthful, honest, and genuine answers.

When they entered into the locker area, Fidelja parted from their group. Areli tried to let the swiveling of her head go unnoticed and she was shocked to see that Aubrie was still leading her towards her locker, not suspecting a thing. Areli looked over her shoulder as Fidelja entered into locker number one, flanked by the hands of her servants.

Aubrie opened Areli’s door for her and then she entered in after her. She excused Areli’s servants and closed the door behind them.

“I know you deserve an explanation.”

“
An
explanation!” said Areli in a harsh tone, “
an
explanation! I’m sorry Aubrie, but I think you need to do a little better than an explanation!”

“I’m sorry, Areli,” said Aubrie quietly approaching her, “I really am. I wanted to tell you but I – I couldn’t.”

“Why not? Did Fidelja already know? Don’t tell me she already knew.”

“Yes, Areli . . . she knew. I wanted to tell you. But I couldn’t.”

“Why?”

“I was told not to.”

“By whom? Aubrie, by whom?”

“Who do you think?”

“Fidelja?” Aubrie shook her head.

“Coach Sani?” Aubrie shook her head again. Areli looked at her trainer with spite in her eyes, and then looked into the fireplace. Fresh logs were just placed into it, and the flames licked them lovingly, like how a dog loves a bone.

“It was him,” said Areli, “wasn’t it?”
The monster
, she wanted to add. Aubrie was quiet. Areli looked over at her. Her trainer, or half-trainer, was staring at the patterns in the floor. “But why . . . why would he do such a thing? Wouldn’t he want me to have a full-time trainer?”

“He wanted a reaction,” said Aubrie, “and . . . and he told me to tell you. He told me . . . after the first team meeting . . . that . . . that if you ever visit his palace again, you’ll be met with half a fashion coordinator as well.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means . . . it means that Emilee, Areli, that – that Emilee’s dead. He killed her. And if you don’t win the World Race like Aquilina did her first year. Then he is going to kill you as well.” The news hit Areli like a rock. “I’m
so
sorry, Areli. Forgive me. Please, I beg of you. Forgive me.”

Areli collapsed on the floor. Her body started to shake and tears came furiously to her eyes. Aubrie ran to her and held her. Areli couldn’t suppress the screams of rage, confusion, and frustration. Hate and loss filled her veins.

“She w-was only t-trying to help,” choked out Areli, “it c-can’t be. H-he wouldn’t d-do that, not to h-her, not to E-Emilee.” Aubrie stroked Areli’s hair and repeated her apologies. Areli dug her fingers into Aubrie’s back, as if trying to cling on to reality while she sobbed uncontrollably.

There was a knock on the door, but Areli didn’t hear it, she couldn’t hear it. Her crying was too violent, too loud. The door opened and it was Coach Sani, she instructed Aubrie to leave the room, and to give her and Areli a moment.

“Don’t leave,” said Areli in Aubrie ears, “please, don’t leave.” Coach Sani ripped Areli’s hands from her trainers back. “NO!” Areli made a move to try to get back to her trainer, but Coach Sani grabbed her wrist. Areli screamed, and then she was knocked to the floor as Coach Sani slapped her hard across the face.

“AUBRIE!” said Coach Sani, as the trainer was trying to get to Areli, “you’ll leave if you know what’s best for you.” The trainer looked to Areli and then at the coach, and then regrettably and remorsefully, she exited the room, closing the door behind her.

Areli lay on the ground sobbing quietly. Her whole body shook and her hand grabbed the side of her face that felt like a wood beam was thrown at it. Coach Sani straightened out her outfit and then sat on the couch. Quickly, though, she rose up off it, and went to a corner where Areli’s servants had placed a pot of tea. She poured herself a cup and then sat back on the couch.

“Oh, will you shut up,” said Coach Sani, “no one will miss that blonde buffoon.”

“SHUT UP!” screamed Areli, “SHUT UP!” Coach Sani rose from her spot as if the cushions had become unbearably hot and slapped Areli across the face again. Areli could feel the heat of the coach’s hand on her cheek, and a stinging feeling lingered all the way from her chin to her ear, on the left side of her face. She cried, as the taste blood filled her mouth.

Coach Sani kneeled next to her.

“Look at me,” said Coach Sani, “I said look at me you little brat.” She reached under and grabbed across Areli’s cheeks, lifting her face so it faced hers.

“You’re so pathetic,” said Coach Sani, “and weak. A Sector D nobody that raced against other Sector D nobodies and won. You are so undeserving of your position. Was she your friend, Areli? Emilee? Were you of relation? I knew her. Emilee. She was as pompous now as she was then. If anything, she deserved to die, just like that skank follower of Degendhard you cried over. And if it makes you feel better, Emilee died because of you. And I couldn’t be more happier.

“I was there you know. When the Emperor called her into his quarters, asked her what was said between you two, how your tears were not worthy of him. I was there when he drugged her, tied her to a table, and raped her like some vicious animal. I’ve never seen a woman scream or cry so much. She didn’t die well, Areli. After, he ruined her, he cut her perfectly in half, starting here and working his way up. So, don’t shed another tear for her. And get yourself cleaned up. You’ll be the first to run. We don’t want to keep your dragon waiting.”

She let go of Areli’s cheeks and the young rider fell back down to the floor. The Coach stood up and then took another sip of her tea. She set the cup on the table, and then exited the locker. Areli could hear her reprimanding her trainer before Coach Sani could close the door.

Areli’s door opened, and both Aubrie and her servants entered into the room. Aubrie cried as she lifted Areli into her arms.

“It’s okay, Areli,” she said quietly, “it’s okay now.” One of the servants tapped Aubrie on the shoulder and asked her if they could redo Areli’s make-up. She gave them sinister stares, making them crawl away into a corner of the room. She continued to hold Areli, who could feel her trainer’s tears splatter like raindrops on the top of her head.

“Areli,” said Aubrie gently, “I know you’re hurting. But if we don’t get you ready and out there with everyone else. I can’t . . . I can’t protect you from her. We need to get you ready. Please, Areli, for me. I don’t think I would be able to take it if she came back in here.” Areli looked up at her with eyes a shade of deep red, stinging with tears. Areli’s cheek started to swell and she left the blood to trickle across her lips.

“He killed her,” said Areli, “he – he killed her because of me.” She buried her head into Aubrie’s chest, who could do nothing but stroke Areli’s hair.

“Emilee knew what she was doing,” said Aubrie so quietly that only Areli could hear, “Areli she was a grown woman. She protected you. She saved you. Don’t let her die in vain. She would have hated that.”

“It was something she said,” said Areli, “if I would have been stronger . . .”

“You are not to blame, Areli. You didn’t kill her. The Emperor did.” Areli knew Aubrie was right, but still that emptiness persisted in the center of her heart.

Aubrie helped Areli to her vanity and the servants set to work. They wiped away the tears. The streaks of black that crowded her cheeks. They cleaned away the snot and the blood and rubbed a cream on the cheek where Areli was sure a handprint was still visible.

They put her hair in a ponytail and put her armour over her chest and shoulders, buckling the leather straps around her midsection, securing the spine protector. They helped her into her boots, and each servant constantly looked at Areli hoping that she wouldn’t start crying again, or they would have to start all over once more.

Once Areli was ready, Aubrie helped her up and they went out into the locker room, with an air of silence between them. When Areli was back outside her locker door, she kept her eyes to the ground, but she could feel the heat of the stares upon her. She wondered if the other girls knew Emilee as well, if they knew about her death. If they knew that she was the reason it was brought about. She wondered if they blamed her. She wished she could apologize to them all. She wished she could say sorry to Emilee. She wished she could avenge her death.

“Come on, Areli,” whispered Aubrie into her ear, “chin up. Don’t you dare let them win. You hear me. Don’t you dare.” Those words were similar to Emilee’s. Areli could feel her lower lip start to tremble. She had to be strong. She had to find the strength. She had to do it for Emilee. A tear ran along her cheek. More followed. Aubrie tried to hurry Areli back into her locker, but she was too late.

“STOP!” shouted Coach Sani, “what do you think you’re doing?” Aubrie tried to explain that she wanted to have Areli’s servants to check over her armour one last time.

“Aubrie, leave her. Take Fidelja and head to the stall rooms. The rest of you follow.” The coach looked about the room with her fierce eyes. “NOW!” she screamed.

“Be strong, Areli,” said Aubrie, “be strong.” And then Aubrie did as she was told, and she made it just past Coach Sani when the coach told her to stop. Aubrie hesitated, and then slowly turned around.

She didn’t even see it coming. The hand in the shape of a board cut through the air with the proficiency of a sword, slapping her hard across the face. Aubrie stumbled at first, and then she lost her balance on her heels and fell to the ground.

“Get up. I SAID GET UP!” demanded Coach Sani, “don’t you ever lie to me again. That goes for all of you. Now, get out of my sight.” Aubrie stood staring into Coach Sani’s eyes. She touched her cheek and then turned to fetch Fidelja and the two left the room.

Areli watched from her locker, on the floor, in a ball, her knees tucked into her chest. She felt empty as the other riders and trainers followed them out. None of them looked at her. Coach Sani made sure they were through the large room and into the hallways before she turned around. Areli could tell there was nothing but evil in her coach’s eyes.

“Take off your armour,” said Coach Sani, in a soft and quiet tone. Areli swallowed tears and snot as she unbuckled the straps around her abdomen. She pulled the armour off her shoulders and around her chest, and stood, feeling naked, in her brown leather.

Coach Sani told her to knock on her door and call her servants out. The coach told them to help Areli take off her shirt. The air felt cool against Areli’s near bare shoulders that were only holding the straps of her bra.

“Now your belt,” said Coach Sani. Areli loosened the thin strap of black leather, unwrapping it from her waist. She was about to drop it to the ground when Coach Sani stopped her.

“Throw the belt to me,” said Coach Sani. Areli’s arms tensed. She felt hollow inside. Her shoulders shook and her wrist trembled as she held the belt next to her side. Coach Sani repeated the command. Areli tossed her the belt. And told herself that no matter what happened, she wasn’t going to scream. She wasn’t going to give her that.

Coach Sani tightened the belt by folding it in half and then she dismissed Areli’s servants with her eyes. Areli didn’t look at them, but she knew they were as scared as she was.

“Turn around, Areli,” said Coach Sani. Areli did as she said. She tried to stifle the tears that were trying to crawl onto her lashes.
Don’t scream, Areli
, she thought to herself,
don’t scream.

Her shoulders began to shake even more as she heard the tapping of Coach Sani’s heels.
Don’t scream, Areli. Don’t you dare scream.
They kept on getting closer, until they stopped. Nothing happened. Maybe nothing was going to happen.

Areli screamed as a sharp pain ran across her back, knocking her to the floor. She tried to crawl away, but Coach Sani grabbed her by the hair and continued to beat her with her own belt until she was convinced Areli had no more tears to shed.

Areli was brought into the medical rooms of the facility, where she was placed on top of a soft bench. A servant rubbed a cream onto her back and warned Areli that it would hurt at first, but soon the pain would go away.

Coach Sani had left Areli on the floor when she was done with her. She instructed the servants to have her mended and out to the arena as fast as they could. Coach Sani kneeled next to Areli and told her the next tears she cried would lead to her dragon lying on the floor, helpless, instead of her. The coach then stood, dropping the belt next to Areli’s face, and left to join the rest of her team.

Areli’s servants were gentle and were aided by additional servants from the other lockers, who were tormented by the screams Areli couldn’t suppress as the leather tore into her back. Some of the servants stayed with her, comforting her, holding her hand, finding a pillow for her head. While others left to get medical assistance or ice. Areli found comfort as they talked about Coach Sani with harsh tongues.

“How is the pain?” asked the medical advisor, “is it gone?” Areli could only find the strength to nod her head. Her back seemed natural, but she really didn’t feel like talking. “I’m going to have you eat a couple of these.” The advisor handed her a couple leaves. “And I’m going to advise you to come back here after practice. I want to get you in the cold bath and have another layer of cream applied before you leave. Make sure there are no complications.” Areli nodded her head some more until she was dismissed into the care of her servants, who accompanied her back to the stall room.

Their sympathy was welcomed. Even though Areli didn’t really know any of them, she embraced their kindness, their worry, and their bitterness towards Coach Sani. When they entered into the stall, Areli’s trailer and driver were waiting for her. The servants helped her out of the carriage doors even though Areli felt fine. But Kaia knew Areli wasn’t fine.

Her feelings of sadness and emptiness infected her dragon. She found Kaia lying down in her pine shavings, her body motionless, and her eyes filled with sorrow. She looked at Areli, but the hurt in Areli was the hurt in Kaia, and neither really wanted to move.

The guards opened the door, and Areli took the halter from someone’s hands and went through the motions of getting her dragon into the trailer. She got up to the front of the trailer and the driver motioned the horses forward.

Instead of taking a right into the trailer room, he directed his horses left. They exited the facility into the gardens and statues. They were cleared through the facility gates, and continued down a large private sector. On both sides of the road stood elegant gold statues and carefully trimmed hedges. And then Areli saw it, in the distance, and somehow, warmth started to spread across the surface of her heart.

A large double-door entrance stood at the end of the path, guarded by two large dragon statues. It was the doors into the holding pen. Areli could see the metal bars rising in the air, sprouting out of the roof of the large limestone building. She could feel the beats of her heart. Her dragon even stood up in her trailer, as a surge of warmth and vitality was starting to fill into her veins as well.

When they entered into the large cavernous room, there were tall marble columns that rose to the exceedingly tall ceilings, in which a barred dome made of metal and glass sat at its center. The walls were covered with paintings from floor to ceiling, and next to them, standing equally as tall, were statues. One of them was of Emperor Abhiraja, and the rest were of dragons.

In the center of the room were fifteen sections arranged into a loose circle, Areli’s trailer drove into one of them and then stopped. The walls used to divide the sections had dragons bulging from their surfaces.

Areli got Kaia out of the trailer and they walked across the floor to the space in front of their section. Being in such a wonderful place the pain started to chip away that had consumed Areli’s body earlier. This is where she’s happiest. Her heart elevated even more when she saw Aubrie running over to her.

Aubrie wrapped her arms around Areli, grabbed the rider by her cheeks and looked into her eyes.

“Are you okay?” asked Aubrie. Areli nodded her head, and then Aubrie brought her back into her chest. “I was so worried about you.” When Aubrie’s grip loosened, Areli pulled slightly away, looking to where Coach Sani’s hand had battered her trainers face.

“I’m so sorry, Aubrie,” said Areli, her throat starting to tighten.

“Don’t worry about that now,” said Aubrie, “you did nothing wrong. You understand me. Nothing.” She waited for Areli to nod her head before she would let go of the sides of her face. “We need to get Kaia warmed up. Most of the girls are on their second run. Come on, follow me.” Areli was able to at least give a feeble smile as she followed her trainer across the marble surface, towards opened gigantic double-doors.

Areli felt the rush of air as a rider soared above her head on a pink dragon. A rush of excitement penetrated deep within her heart, as being around the racing environment again was the most therapeutic for her. She looked back at Kaia and saw the innocence again in her dragon’s eyes. She also saw the fire that was growing within herself.

Areli smiled, her wrecked heart finding a way to seal together the broken pieces. She and Kaia were right behind Aubrie as they entered through the doors into another room with vast walls and soaring ceilings. She could hear the excited screams of girls her own age as they circled above an ocean sized floor. Areli looked down and felt ashamed. Guilt poured into her veins. She shouldn’t be so happy. How could she be happy? Not after what just happened, what she was responsible for. She had killed one woman and inadvertently killed another.

“Areli,” said Aubrie, softly, “you can’t bring her back. Neither can I. But that doesn’t mean you have to forget her. You owe it to her. To not give up. You owe it to yourself, your dragon, and your family. She believed in you. If she didn’t . . . if she didn’t, she wouldn’t have risked herself like she did.”

Areli wiped away the snot that was forming under her nose, as her eyes became thick with tears.

“I don’t deserve this,” said Areli, “just now. I don’t deserve this.”

“What don’t you deserve?”

“To be happy,” said Areli, tears streaming down her face, “I should have been stronger. I should have . . .” Aubrie wrapped her arms around Areli’s body.

“Don’t you ever say that, Areli,” said Aubrie, “you deserve to be happy. You do. It’s what Emilee was trying to protect. If you allow this to eat you up, the repercussions are . . . they’re endless. Emilee would have wanted you to race.”

“You don’t understand,” said Areli, “it’s all my fault.”

“It’s not your fault, Areli. It’s not.”

“I had to
kill
someone, Aubrie. A Follower of Degendhard. I had to shoot them with an arrow . . . for the Emperor – for the Emperor to trust me. And I couldn’t – I couldn’t keep it together afterwards.” Aubrie stepped closer to Areli.

“I’m sorry, Areli. I am so sorry. You had to do what you had to do. A follower of a rapist, a murderer . . . whomever you killed . . . they had it coming.”

But he’s not!
screamed Areli, only to herself,
he’s none of the things you say he is.
She kept her mouth shut.

“Emilee did what she had to do as well, Areli. Don’t let anyone decide your happiness. Not the Emperor. And certainly not that bitch Degendhard. Emilee. She wants you to be happy, Areli.”

“How do you know?”

“Because . . . because she was my friend.”

“I’m so sorry, Aubrie,” said Areli, fresh tears coming from her eyes, “I’m sorry. You must hate me.”

“I don’t hate you, Areli. I love you. And Emilee . . . Emilee must have loved you too, or at least saw something special in you. Don’t let her go like this Areli,” said Aubrie wiping away Areli’s tears, leaving her own untouched, “she meant for you to live. She gave you and Kaia a chance to soar.”

“But why?” asked Areli, “why didn’t she just let the Emperor kill me? I don’t understand.”

“Because . . . your life wouldn’t have been the only one he would have taken.” More tears came gushing from both Areli’s and Aubrie’s eyes. “Look at me Areli. Look at me. Emilee is always with us. Always. She’s amongst the stars. She’s happy, Areli. She’s happy. But she will be pissed if you don’t get on your dragon and show the world what you’re capable of.”

Areli’s lip cringed through harsh tears. Areli looked into Aubrie’s dark eyes, her hands on her trainer’s shoulders, and nodded her head.

“For Emilee,” said Areli, wiping her eyes.

“For Emilee,” repeated Aubrie, who then motioned over servants that seemed to come out of nowhere, carrying a ladder and pulling a gold slab with wheels, which carried Kaia’s saddle and tack. Areli went back to retrieve Kaia and then returned, giving her the time to clear the tears from her face.

Once Kaia was onto the marble surface, the servants set to work saddling her up. When they were done, Areli climbed the ladder, held stationary by a group of servants, and mounted her dragon. She was then handed the reins by Aubrie.

“Oh, Areli,” said Aubrie as Areli was beginning to make her way to the center of the room, “do it for yourself as well.” Areli smiled and nodded her head. She motioned Kaia forward, slightly kicking her in the shoulders.

When she was in the center of the floor, Areli looked up to the large glass hole in the ceiling that led to perfect blue skies. She took a deep breath and loosened her grip on the reins, kicking her dragon hard with her legs two times, and felt lightness invade her heart and her body as she heard the unfurling of Kaia’s wings.

This was the only way she would feel alive again. Areli could hear her heart thundering just as loud as Kaia’s wings as her dragon was pushing and gathering air. In a few elongated flaps of her wings, Areli and Kaia were lifted into the air. Areli felt a surge of happiness flood throughout every part of her body. She was back in the safest place in the world. No one could touch her when she was on Kaia. No one could beat her, abuse her, or penetrate her with the coldness in their eyes.

Areli let Kaia rise until they found space to fly around the room. She pushed her dragon with the inside of her left leg and they flew smoothly to the edge of the room and began to circle.
For Emilee, Areli . . . race for Emilee . . . race for yourself, your family, your sector, and your dragon.
Areli felt her confidence come back, and her aggression and her competitiveness also returned. She had to focus. She cleared her mind and refilled it with thoughts only of column racing. To think of loss would ruin her. It would destroy them both. She had to become whole. She had to feel like she belonged. She circled Kaia ten times around the room and then switched directions.

She occasionally let her eyes travel to the bottom as she paid attention to the burning set of fires below. Like everything else concerning the column racing team, a rider is assigned a number. And when the fires are arranged into the shape of your number, it is your turn to go to the holding area. The number that was flickering below was seven.

Areli continued to fly in circles, loosening Kaia’s wings while keeping a close eye to the changing of the flames. Areli continued to push Kaia. Her dragon was being infused with enthusiasm and excitement. The rider pushed her, kicking her dragon gingerly in the shoulders, and then let Kaia’s wings relax, allowing them to glide.

The wind stung her eyes and slightly tugged at her hair. Areli needed the intensity of the sport to wipe away her depression, to obliterate her fears. When Areli looked down again, she didn’t think her heart could be beating more rapidly than it was now . . . but it did . . . as she saw that the flames were shifting. The servants below pulled and tugged until they manipulated the large pots burning dragon’s oil into the number eight.

Areli closed her eyes, took a deep breath.
For Emilee, Areli . . . you owe it to her. You owe it to yourself. You didn’t work this hard to quit now. You’re stronger than this Areli. You’re the strongest girl in the world. You’re the greatest column racer in the world. Prove that you belong, Areli. Prove it.

She motioned Kaia downward, doing exactly what Aubrie told her to do in their last practice together. Once near the bottom, Areli motioned Kaia toward the large double-doors with her dragon’s talons just feet above the ground.

Just before they exited the door, Areli pushed her left leg into the side of her dragon, placed her left hand firmly around the saddle horn, and pulled the reins over Kaia’s right shoulder with her free hand. They turned into a large space between the sections of trailer docks and the outer wall.

Areli could barely breathe. The wind was suffocating her. On the other side of the double-doors they just exited was another set of large doors, already opened. Areli turned her dragon into them. They entered into a large hallway that resembled the tunnel that was carved into the Mountains of Abhi. Everywhere Areli looked, the walls, the ceilings, and even the floors were covered with lanterns, with not so much as a finger’s length between them.

At the end of the enormous hallway, Areli could just make out a lull in the amount of lanterns used. And the ones that were used were formed into the shape of an arrow pointing up. Areli’s heart continued to pound. She had to focus. She cued Kaia into an easily glide, allowing air to gather beneath her wings. When the walls became dark, with the remaining lanterns directing her where to go, Areli tightened the reins in to her hands and prompted Kaia to rise.